Guardian Angel
by Amanga
Summary: ChibiUsa knows that her mom's stories about Guardian Angels are true, because she has one! What kinds of adventures can this girl get into when protected by Helios? A lot! C
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Sailor Moon! Right, ChibiUsa-chan?

ChibiUsa: Right!

Amanga: 'Cause if I did, there's be a lot more Helios/ChibiUsa

ChibiUsa: *Blush*

**Guardian Angel**

**Chapter One**

A woman lay on a hospital bed, cradling her newborn daughter in her arms. Her husband wrapped an arm around his wife's shoulders and kissed her cheek, never taking his eyes off their little girl. Each of the proud parents watched the newborn with proud smiles.

"What will you name her," asked Ikuko, the new grandmother. The two parents looked at each other and new, in that simple way that married couples do, what they wanted without speaking.

"Chiba-Tsikino ChibiUsa because she is our baby bunny," replied Usagi to her mother. Her husband, Chiba Mamoru, smiled tenderly in agreement. Tsukino Ikuko and her husband Kenji looked at one another with smiles. Their little girl was all grown up.

"ChibiUsa it is," Ikuko said.

Unseen to the happy family was a white being, a boy, no older than four smiling too. He floated above the little scene and gazed down at the new child with golden eyes. The little baby girl turned her ruby eyes to him and cooed. He gave her a tender look, different from that of her family's. He knew that, while the adults could not see him, the innocent infant could.

"ChibiUsa, hmm… I hope we can be friends," he whispered before shimmering out of the room. ChibiUsa watched this amazing phenomenon, not understanding that no else could see the mysterious boy. She laughed, pleased when she heard the sound of, though she didn't know it yet, her name being said by him.

(Scene Change)

Later that week, after the family had come home and little Usa was tucked into her cradle, the boy came to check up on her again. As if she sensed his presence, ChibiUsa woke up and turned her eyes to him. He floated above and she giggled happily. She watched as he shifted his form to suit the size of the cradle. He curled his arms around her and although he was as transparent as a ghost, she felt warmth radiating off of him like a blanket. It made her feel drowsy and she closed her eyes, dreaming sweet dreams.

"Oyasuminasi, ChibiUsa-chan," he whispered.

(Scene Change)

Everyday, the young boy would watch over the little girl, sometimes he materialized, much to her delight, but mostly he remained hidden even to her innocent eyes. At night, though, the moment her parents left her in her cradle alone to sleep, he would reappear in her room and become her sweet "dream blanket".

By the time her second birthday rolled around, her parents began to tell her bedtime stories. Stories about magic, castles and fairies. Of princess and knights and kings. Evil witches and mirrors too. But her favorites were the ones about guardian angels.

"ChibiUsa-chan, there are many beings out there besides humans. Some of them are good and some are bad. Some of the good ones watch over humans from a beautiful land above the clouds. They are angels, people who look like humans and have pure white wings that reflect their beautiful souls. Everyone who is born, no matter what, receives a Guardian Angel at birth. That angel's job is to watch over that person throughout their life. If a person is in trouble, they will help."

Unlike other children, ChibiUsa never complained about the monster in the closet or under the bed. She knew for a fact that her guardian angel would protect her. She even summed up the courage to ask him.

After her mother told the guardian angel story and left, ChibiUsa watched the ceiling thoughtfully from her new, big-girl bed. She knew he'd show up, he always did. She never had acknowledged him before, except with her eyes, because her mom and dad couldn't see him. She knew that for a fact. The shimmering form appeared once again, but this time, she spoke to him.

"Are you my guardian angel?" He was startled at her question and that she spoke to him.

"I suppose so," he answered. She watched him float over her like usual.

"What's your name?" He smiled kindly at her.

"Helios. And you are ChibiUsa-chan." She giggled; she always did like it when he said her name.

"Why can't 'Kaa-chan and 'Tou-chan see you?"

"Because I'm not their guardian, am I?" She furrowed her little brow. She supposed that made sense. She felt his warmth curl around just as I he had always done and fell fast asleep.

(Scene Change)

Mamoru and Usagi took ChibiUsa to the park on a sunny Saturday afternoon when she was three. They let her play in the sandbox alone for a while as they went to get snacks. At first, she was laughing happily while playing with the little grains of sand and building castles like the ones in her mother's stories. That didn't last long, thanks to the five-year-old resident bully who found her to be a new target. He and his cronies went over to her and kicked up the little castles she made back in her face. The sand got in her eyes and mouth and she began to cry. They laughed at her, and she tried to stop her crying. She wasn't a baby!

"My guardian angel will protect me!" She told them with confidence. They only laughed harder.

"Oh yeah? Didja hear that? The wittle baby's angel is gonna protect her!" She was confused and scared. Why weren't they leaving? ChibiUsa began to cry again.

That was when familiar warmth touched her arm. She looked through her teary eyes at Helios. She opened her mouth to speak, but he covered it with his hand.

"Shh," he told her, smiling. He removed his hand and came to hug her from in front. He made certain that her head was buried in his shoulder before performing his little trick. The sand blew everywhere, causing a commotion. The boys left frightened of the weird wind that suddenly blew sand and dirt into their faces. Once they were gone, Helios stopped the trick and pulled away from a smiling ChibiUsa. Helios saw her parents coming back, so he started to leave. As he did he heard her say,

"I knew you'd come!"


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon! But Sailor Chibimoon owns Helios, ne Helios-kun?

Chibimoon: No I don't! *very insistent* Nobody owns Helios! He's his own person!

Helios: *blushing beet red from Amanga's earlier comment*

Amanga: I don't think he hears you.

Guardian Angel

Chapter Two

""Kaa-chan do I have to go?" ChibiUsa whined. Her mother smiled.

"Yes you do."

"But I don't wanna!"

"I didn't either when I was your age, believe me," she and her husband exchanged looks, "but you want to meet new friends, don't you?" ChibiUsa sniffed.

"Hai!"

"Then off to school you go. I'm sure you'll meet many wonderful friends there, just like I did." As ChibiUsa skipped to the front gate from where her parents stood, Usagi confessed to Mamoru, "That was the same excuse my mother used on me." He chuckled, wrapping an arm around her.

"Like mother, like daughter, Usako." She groaned, remembering all she must have put her parents through.

"I hope not, Mamo-chan. Otherwise, we're going to have one difficult little girl."

Meanwhile, ChibiUsa was settling into kindergarten just fine, despite her mother's worries. The teacher was very nice and so were her classmates, but nobody really stood out. They introduced themselves; the teacher told them stories and did arts-and-crafts. They even painted pictures. By the time snack time rolled around, ChibiUsa's impression of school was an okay one. The real reason she had made a fuss earlier was because she knew she wouldn't be able to play with Helios because he never showed up when there were other people around.

She sat at a table eating her snack when a girl and boy showed up to sit beside her. The girl had purple hair in a small bun and wore Chinese clothing. The boy had green, messy hair.

"Hi! You're ChibiUsa right?" The girl asked.

"And you're Mo-mo-…" She trailed off, embarrassed.

"Can't get it right can ya?" remarked the boy. The girl elbowed him.

"Don't be mean!" She scolded him. "You can call me Momo." ChibiUsa nodded. "The meanie over here is Kyuusuke." For the rest of the day, ChibiUsa played with her two new friends.

"Ja ne, Momo-chan! Ja ne, Kyuusuke-kun!" She waved goodbye to her friends when it was time to leave.

"Bye!"

Usagi was waiting for her. "Well, what did I tell you? You've already made two new friends." ChibiUsa nodded happily; she was glad that her mother was right. And she could still tell Helios all about her day. The little five-year-old decided that school wouldn't be such a bad thing after all.

(Scene Change)

Later that night, she told her guardian about her day in hushed whispers so as not to be over-heard.

"And Momo-chan, she's really nice. And then there's Kyuusuke-kun, he's kinda mean, but that's only cause he's a boy. That's what Momo-chan says. Are only angel-boys good?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you're not mean Helios. And you're a angel-boy." Helios smiled.

"Sounds like Kyuusuke-kun was only pretending to be mean."

"Pretending? To be mean? Why?" She obviously didn't notice the change in subject.

"To mask what he really feels. Some human boys tend to do that to seem stronger." She was still confused but accepted it as a boy thing. In her opinion, confusing things could be either boy things or grown-up things. Helios laughed, then he kissed her forehead.

"Oyasuminasi, ChibiUsa-chan. Sweet dreams." His arms curled around her like a protective blanket.

"Oyasumi, Helios."

(Scene change)

The school year went by quick and well and soon it was the fall of when ChibiUsa would return to school, advancing into the first grade. She was sad to leave behind her teacher, but at least she would have her friends and classmates. She made many friends, but her two best friends were Momo-chan and Kyuusuke-kun, even if they were a little strange. Even though they were good friends, she didn't tell them about Helios. He had asked her to promise him that she wouldn't tell anyone about his existence, and she always kept her promises, especially to him.

As ChibiUsa sat at the breakfast table, she reflected on her summer memories, particularly her sixth birthday.

(Flashback)

Little ChibiUsa hummed to herself a tuneless song as she made her way to her bedroom. She was pleased about her party that her friends had attended, and the gifts she received. Her favorite nerw toy was in her arms at the moment because she wanted to show Helios. The toy, given to her by one of her mother's friends, and thus her friend as well, was a cute little ball in the shape of a cat's face. 

"Look what I got for my birthday, Helios!" This time, he had been waiting for her. She held out the little toy for him to see. "It's Luna P! Puu-chan gave it to me."

"That's wonderful, ChibiUsa-chan. I have something for you, too." He had his same smile on as he watched her surprised face light up with childish delight.

"Really?" She bounded over to her bed, where he was seated. "Can I see?"

"Of course." Out of nowhere, he pulled a beautiful tiny gold bell attached to a pink heart. "This is crystal bell. Whenever you want to see my, just ring it and I will come." The bell floated down into the open hands of the birthday girl. Her amazement was plain as she held onto the bell even as she threw her tiny arms around him. 

"Arigato, Helios!" He was startled at first, but then, he smiled too, and hugged her back.

"You're very welcome."

(End Flashback)

I wonder if I could take the bell and Luna P to school. She thought while munching on her breakfast.

"ChibiUsa-chan! Hurry or you'll be late!" Her mother called. The girl wolfed down the rest of her food in under thirty seconds and raced to be ready and out the door.

"I'm leaving!" She yelled as she rushed to school.

"Take care!" Her mother called, even though she knew her daughter couldn't hear her. She chuckled. "She gets more and more like me everyday."


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Helios is the property of ChibiUsa, who does not belong to me. Neither does Sailor Moon.

Chapter Three

A little pink haired girl packed her back pack to get ready to go home. While she was packing, she heard some of the other first graders talking about tomorrow. It was mostly girls and they seemed very excited about it. Some of the boys were anxious too. ChibiUsa finished packing and walked to the door where she met her two friends, Momoko and Kyuusuke.

"Are you excited for tomorrow too, ChibiUsa-chan?" asked Momoko. The other girl turned her big red eyes to her friend.

"What's tomorrow?" Her friend gave her a look. One that said you have to be kidding.

"It's February fourteenth! Valentine's Day!" Realization dawned on ChibiUsa.

"That's right! Who are you going to give chocolate to, Momo-chan?" Momoko blushed.

"Well, I don't know. There aren't really any boys that I like. What about you?" The three friends had changed their shoes and were now simply talking in the school yard. ChibiUsa turned a light pink that almost matched her hair.

"Me neither," she replied quickly. Does Helios count as a boy? She wondered. Then, just thinking of giving him chocolate, she blushed again.

"What a waste of time," Kyuusuke scoffed. Momoko hit him on the head. "Itai! What was that for?"

"For being a baka, baka." He was still rubbing his head as he argued with her. Kyuusuke and Momoko headed in the way of their homes, still arguing while ChibiUsa said goodbye to them and went home alone in thought.

When she was several blocks away from both school and home, a man came out of an alley and covered her mouth with one hand while his other hand was gripping her tiny body before she knew what was happening. The hand over her mouth had a cloth with a strange smell that made ChibiUsa feel light-headed and dizzy. She passed out and the man took her away to an abandoned warehouse. He put her and, after checking it, her back pack in a second story room with a high up window. The man locked the door and left her alone.

When ChibiUsa finally came to a half an hour later, she took note of her surroundings. When she remembered what happened, she became scared. However, when she saw her little blue back pack, she knew all was not lost. She opened it and to her relief, the little bell that Helios gave her was still there. Softly, so as not to let any bad guy hear, she rang it. That soft ring was enough because then Helios appeared in his familiar way.

"ChibiUsa-chan, what happned?" He asked her. She was so happy to see him after being kidnapped, that she threw herself right at him and hugged him around his middle (because he was so much taller than her…). He was startled for a moment, and then hugged her back. He looked up and saw that here was a window big enough for her to get through. He pulled back from her hug.

"ChibiUsa-chan, listen. I'm going to carry you up to that window. Hold on to the ledge." She nodded and held on tightly to him. She felt her feet leave the floor as he floated both of them up. She held on tighter. When she saw the window, she followed his instructions and grabbed on. She saw that they were high up and gulped.

When she turned to ask how they would get out, she saw he was floating on the other side of the window. Oddly enough there was a soft light coming form him that kept her from seeing his body. When the light faded, a white horse with wings was all that remained. Her jaw dropped.

"H-Helios?" she asked hesitantly. The horse nodded. It then turned its back to her and looked back at her. Realizing that he wanted her to get on his back, she climbed up through the window and did just that. "I'm not too heavy, am I?" she asked. The horse shook his head and gave her a horsey smile.

ChibiUSa held on tightly as they soared above the clouds. She nuzzled her face into his mane. Warm…and soft, she thought.

Helios the Pegasus landed near her house and ChibiUsa jumped off. He disappeared before she could thank him. She got home and found that her mother hadn't noticed her absence because not much time had passed.

"ChibiUsa, what took you so long?" Usagi asked. (Despite not being gone that long, she was late…)

"Gomen nasi, Okaa-san, I took the long way home. Ano… since Valentine's Day is tomorrow, could you help me make chocolate?" Her mother smiled.

"Hai." So mother and daughter spent time together, making chocolate.

(Scene change)

That night, when ChibiUsa went to bed with the usual Helios-blanket, she remembered how he had changed into a Pegasus earlier. Maybe I'll give him chocolate as a thank you present… She thought before falling asleep. Yeah, that's what I'll do…

ChibiUsa somehow managed to wake up before Helios that next morning, so she caught him before he disappeared. Neither one of her parents was up yet, which made it extra easy for her to give Helios the chocolate heart she had made the day before. When she carefully got out of bed, Helios woke.

"Up so early?" he asked. ChibiUsa gave him a nod.

"Uh-uh. Wait right there. I have something for you," she told him as she left her room and headed for the kitchen. Curious now, Helios floated into a standing position. Quick as a wink, the little girl was back with a wrapped up heart chocolate.

"Here," she said as she held out the present, "for Valentine's Day and for saving me yesterday." She blushed a little and Helios smiled.

"Thank you," he said, accepting the gift.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Helios, and the bunny balloon belong to ChibiUsa. She and Sailor Moon belong to their creator.

A/N: Really sorry it's so short, but this really needed a chapter of its own.

Chapter Four

"So are you going?" That was how her friends greeted her as she stepped into her classroom that morning. They had just begun their second grade year at Azabu Juuban Minato-ku Primary School and were once again in the same class together.

ChibiUsa blinked at the girl with purple hair. "Going where, Momo-chan?" Her friend, Momoko, whom she called Momo-chan, rolled her eyes.

"The festival! Don't tell me you didn't know." This was said as the two girls walked to ChibiUsa's seat. A green-haired boy approached them.

"Don't feel too bad, she did the same thing to me," he comforted her. Or tried to. Momoko glared at him. And he scowled at her. ChibiUsa looked from one to the other and back.

"Where's it being held?" She asked, mainly to ease the tension that she was stuck between. It worked because Momoko stopped glaring at Kyuusuke long enough to answer.

"Hiwa JInja on Sendai Hill."

(Scene Change)

Later that day, ChibiUsa asked her parents if they could go and they gave her the go-ahead. After she stopped shrieking like a little banshee, ChibiUsa hurried to change into her kimono that was worn for such an occasion. Obviously, it was the color of her hair, a bright pink, and decorated with flower designs. She put her hair up into two perfectly round buns with the help of hr mother.

Once there, ChibiUsa begged her father to buy her an adorable pink bunny balloon and he obeyed after she gave him the puppy eyes that she learned from her mother. As she squealed over her new possession, her parents laughed.

"She gets more like you everyday, Usako," Mamoru teased his wife. She hit him playfully in the shoulder.

"Mamo-chan, you're imagining things," she joked back.

With the warning of her parents to stay on the shrine grounds, ChibiUsa wandered off alone to find her friends. Deciding to take a peek at the forest on the grounds, she did just that without watching her balloon carefully.

Sure enough, the bunny-head shaped balloon got stuck in one of the trees and no one was around to help her. The tree was really high up too, one of the bigger ones. As she wondered whether or not to go get help, knowing she might not be able to find the same tree again, Helios shimmered into appearance on the branch of said tree.

"Helios! Thank goodness! Could you please get my balloon down for me?" She asked her friend. He saw the balloon and smiled, thinking that it suited her well. He reached out and took hold of the balloon. Then, he carefully brought out of the branch and lowered it until ChibiUsa grabbed hold of the string.

"Thank you sooo much!" He smiled softly again as he let go.

"ChibiUsa-chan!" They both recognized her mother's voice and turned their heads to the source.

"You're welcome," he told her, fading from sight.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Disclaimer: I own nothing of Sailor Moon. Not even a plushie of a book. Isn't that sad?

Childish laughter rang out as a little pink haired girl ran across the playground, happily enjoying the last days of her vacation. School would start up soon and she didn't want to waste a second of a beautiful day in March. She managed to convince her parents to let her go to the new park.

Still running, she barely heard her mother call out, "Be careful, ChibiUsa!" The girl looked over her shoulder at her parents.

"I will!" She cried back against the wind. Suddenly, her new sun-hat with the red ribbon was caught in the wind and she was running for a different reason. "Somebody! Please catch that!" The hat passed a girl reading on a bench. She looked up and saw the hat, then closed the book and hurried after it. After a while of running, the other girl caught up to the hat at the riverbank, where the wind finally died down and let go of it. The girl fell to her knees beside it, panting and gasping for breath. ChibiUsa reached it just afterwards, and was also in need of breath.

The girl smiled up at her and handed her the hat. "Here you go." ChibiUsa smiled back, noticing the girl was her age.

"Arigato." She took the hat from her. "My name's ChibiUsa. What's yours?" The girl opened her violet eyes.

"Hotaru. Nice to meet you."

"You too, Hotaru-chan." They giggled together.

*

ChibiUsa chatted with Momoko while Kyuusuke was sulking in a corner about one thing or another, ChibiUsa hadn't asked. It was the first day back at school and they were all excited, being third-graders was a big thing.

"Alright, class, settle down." Their teacher entered and everyone sat down at their desks. "Okay, first of all, we have a new student joining the school today." The children started with their excited whispers and wonderings about the new classmate. "Come in. Class, this is Tomoe Hotaru. She and her parents just moved here." A girl with short black hair and violet eyes entered with an oddly graceful stride. She bowed to them.

"Please to meet you, minna-san." ChibiUsa knew that voice! IN fact, she knew that name, too. But from where?

Hotaru took the seat behind ChibiUsa and whispered "Hello again, ChibiUsa-chan."

*

A/N: Yeah, super-shorter than normal. I might make up for that with the next one. Not to mention that Helios needed a break, ChibiUsa's been wearing him out. ;)


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Amanga: Hotaru, if you will?

Hotaru: Certainly.

**Disclaimer: Amanga does not own Sailor Moon.**

"ChibiUsa-chan, do you have everything?" The girl bounced straight into her mother.

"Hai! I'm off!" She said, leaving the house. ChibiUsa smiled, thinking about her new friend and how glad she was that they were in the same class. She took the bus to Hotaru's house carrying her things because they were going to have a sleepover. Her very first sleepover, to be exact. There wasn't any school tomorrow, so they could stay up late, play games, have snacks, tell secrets…

ChibiUsa paused in her thoughts to get off the bus. When she followed the directions, she was amazed and checked the address again. Their house was _huge_!

She rang the door bell and waited. Almost instantly, Hotaru opened the door. "ChibiUsa-chan! Come in," she said. The pink-haired girl followed her friend into her house. "You can put your stuff in my room."

They went up the stairs and to her room. Again, ChibiUsa was amazed. The walls were painted violet, making the room very dark. But beautiful lamps lit the inside, creating a mysterious effect. There was a desk in the corner and a bed with purple sheets in the middle.

"Wow, your room is so cool!" Hotaru smiled and thanked her. They left ChibiUsa's things there and left the room, deciding what to do first. Out of another door came a slender man with messy sand-colored hair. He wore a blue top and dark pants. Seeing them, he smiled kindly.

"Who's your friend, Hotaru-chan?" His voice was silky and slightly feminine.

"This is ChibiUSa-chan from school. She's sleeping over tonight. ChibiUsa-chan, this is Hakura-papa."

"Pleased to meet you, Hakura-san," ChibiUsa chirped to the amusement the Hakura.

"Likewise." He headed down the stairs before them. "You two have fun!"

"Your Papa is really cool."

"I think so, too," a low female voice agreed. The two turned around.

"Michiru-mama! How long have you been standing there?" The aqua-haired woman laughed.

"Long enough. ChibiUsa-chan, ne? Have fun." She opened the door to another room and stepped inside.

Later, when Hotaru and ChibiUsa were busy playing cards, the pink-haired girl commented, "Hakura-san seemed kind of girlish." Hotaru giggled. "What?"

"Silly, that's because she _is_ a girl." ChibiUsa blinked and the subject was not brought up again.

That night, the four sat down together and had dinner. Between all the laughing, smiling and joking, ChibiUsa watched the little family. Whenever the two adults' eyes would meet there seemed to be a secret message in them. Like when her mom and dad looked at each other. The little girl had never heard of a girl-girl relationship like that, but being a child, she accepted it as natural and moved on. Besides, Hakura and Michiru's partnership _was_ natural. She knew that everyone had a boy-dad and a girl-mom even if she didn't know why, so she was kind of confused as to why Hotaru had a girl-mom and a girl-dad. Concluding, in her innocent way, that it was just one of those things, she dropped those musings too. This family of three reminded her of her parents and herself for some reason, and she liked that.

After dinner, the family of three and friend played and talked some more until it was bedtime. Hotaru in her grey nightdress fell asleep immediately. ChibiUsa, in her blue-green pajamas, felt as though something was missing. Or someone…She then realized that, along with her first sleepover, it was the first time Helios was not there to watch over her as she slept.

"Helios," she whispered. He shimmered into the room as if summoned. Kneeling, because she was on the floor in her sleeping bag, he pressed a gentle hand to her forehead.

_ I am here._ Helios' voice resounded in her head even as they assumed the usual positions. ChibiUsa fell asleep with a smile on her face.

The very next day, ChibiUsa woke up to find both Helios and Hotaru gone. She went downstairs to find them finished making breakfast.

When the sleepover was finished, her mother asked, "How was it?"

ChbiUsa, thinking of the fun things they did and of Helios said, "Great!" with a smile.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Sailor Moon.

**A/N: **Also, to clear up any confusion from the last chapter, ChibiUsa found Hotaru, Michiru and Hakura making breakfast. Helios had disappeared.

Feel free to critic the story and give the authoress helpful tips.

**Chapter Seven**

"Isn't that a pretty flower?" It was the annual fourth-grade field trip to a nature preserve forest. Hotaru, ChibiUsa, Momoko and Kyuusuke were currently looking at their surroundings. Hotaru and ChibiUsa looked to where Momoko was pointing to and saw a lovely red flower. Momoko went to touch the stem to get a better angle and Kyuusuke grabbed her shoulder.

"Oi! What do you think you're doing? It has thorns," he scolded her. She glared at him and crossed her arms.

"Yeah right," she replied. He rolled his eyes at her. ChibiUsa decided to step in, knowing this type of flower very well.

"Actually, he's right. It's a rose and roses always have thorns. Otou-san has several in our garden." Kyuusuke gave Momoko a look that clearly said I-told-you-so. He even had a smirk on his face. Hotaru smiled.

"You were very worried about her, weren't you?" Hotaru then walked to the teacher to ask something, leaving a flustered and stammering Kyuusuke denying it. Momoko was also rather red and ChibiUsa was in awe of her friend's skill of observation.

The class began hiking and ChibiUsa, on request of the teacher and Hotaru, helped the violet-eyed girl through the forest. The others were fine by themselves, but Hotaru wasn't as used to physical activity as her peers and needed assistance. Thus, the two lagged behind their group.

Soon, however, the two girls were so far behind that they could no longer tell where the others had gotten to. The forest looked entirely the same and they were soon lost. After wandering for a little in hopes of finding someone, Hotaru rested at the base of a large tree. ChibiUsa looked around for something to help.

_If only I could ask Helios, _she thought. Suddenly, she saw a white speck in the trees to her left. Making certain that Hotaru was not watching, she got closer to it and realized it was a white feather. One that looked familiar to her. She spotted another in a tree farther out and understood that Helios was helping her without being seen. She smiled in delight and went to get Hotaru.

She helped her friend walk over the rough ground that was untouched by humans (mostly) while following the feathers discreetly. She assured her tall friend that she had finally remembered which way the group went and that was where she was headed.

At last, the two friends came into view of their classmates, teacher and guide. They had reached the place where they had started and the others were pleased to see that they were okay.

"Ne, ChibiUsa-chan, how did you know where to go? The whole forest looks exactly the same," Momoko asked on the bus ride back. ChibiUsa gave a mysterious smile.

"I just remembered where I had last seen you guys go, that's all." The others gave her skeptic looks, but dropped the subject all the same. ChibiUsa looked out the window at the passing landscape. When she looked up into the sky, however, she could have sworn that one of the clouds was a Pegasus.

_Arigato, my angel,_ she thought in gratitude. _My own guardian angel._


	8. Chapter 8

For my dear reviewer, Saya: Because Chibiusa was not being formal and because she was a little kid, she called her mother 'Kaa-chan'. It's like a four year old coming up to you and saying, "Where is my mother?" Little kids just don't talk that formally. The transaltion for 'Kaa-chan' is something like 'mommy'. 'Kaa-san' would be the translation of 'mom' and 'Okaa-san' would be the translation for 'mother'. I don't normally reply to reviews on the actual story, but since there wasn't a link, I assume you don't want to be found or contacted. Still, I felt the need to explain my reasoning to you.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Sailor Moon or anything that goes with it. Blame the wait and lack of creativity on finals.

**Chapter Eight:**

The sweet ten year old truly enjoyed talking with her 'guardian angel', and he with her. However, the otherworldly boy tended to listen more than he spoke and it was one evening when Chibiusa began to wonder about it.

"Ano, Helios, why don't you talk more? I've told you lots about me, but I don't know very much about you. Will you at least tell me where you're from?" He looked away from the curious gaze of the child.

"Gomen. I can't tell you that."

"But why, Helios? Why can't you tell me?" He didn't look at her, knowing he would see hurt confusion.

"Please don't ask me that." He then disappeared from her sight. Chibiusa climbed under the covers, upset and frustrated, not knowing what to do.

As she slept, a bright light came from her window. She opened her eyes to see Helios as a Pegasus, waiting for her outside. Wondering what was going on, she climbed out of bed at ran downstairs to greet him.

"Helios?" She asked him. He folded his legs underneath himself and stretched his wings out to their full length. She looked at him, then up at the bright light in the sky.

"Climb on," he told her. Hesitantly, she got onto his back and he stood up once she was secured. "Hold on." She did as she was told and he took off in a run towards the light. As soon as they were going fast enough, he lifted off the ground and used his wings to support them both. They disappeared into the light and ended up in an entirely different world.

They soared high above what was certainly the most beautiful most beautiful place she had ever seen. Most of the land was covered in lush trees and pastures. There were several horses drinking from one of the many clear streams. The sky was a beautiful mix of colors, the dominant being a pale blue. Over all, it looked like a place out of one of Chibiusa's fairytale books, long before humans dominated the planet. They landed in front of the only man-made thing there; a temple of sorts with pristine white walls befitting such a sacred place.

_This is my home, _her friend's gentle voice said, _Elysion. _She stared up at the ancient temple with its awe-inspiring majesty from atop his back. There were no statues or jewels adorning it, no, this place emitted purity and goodness without those things.

She leaned forward wand wrapped her arms tighter around his neck in a hug, bringing her mouth closer to his ear. "Thank you for bringing me here, Helios. It's beautiful."

*****

Over a year later, a twelve year old Chibiusa returned home from school to be greeted by only Helios.

"Helios? I'm back, where's Mama and Papa?"

"Welcome back. I believe they left you a note." He gestured to the kitchen table where indeed a piece of paper lay waiting for her. She glanced over at it and shrugged. "How was school?" He asked Chibiusa, who was picking up the letter and glancing it over.

"It was the last day of elementary school." Satisfied by whatever the paper said, she threw it away. "To be honest, it's kind of scary. We've been upperclassmen for a whole year, now we'll be underclassmen again. With everyone being older than us."

He put a hand over her shoulder. "I'm sure you'll be just fine." She smiled at him and put her hand over his.

"Arigato, Helios."


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the characters, I just play with them.

**Chapter Nine:**

"Momo-chan! Ne, Momo-chan? Anybody home?" Dazed, the purple-haired girl turned her head from the window to her friend. They'd finally made it into junior high school and Momohara Momoko was already spacing out, even during lunch

"Eh? You say something?"

"I only called your name three times!" She shook her head, causing her pink curls to shake. Then, Chibiusa put down the drink she was holding onto the desk. "What were you staring at?" She looked out the window, but could only see a few of the guys in their class playing football on the field below.

"Were you watching your crush?" Both girls whipped their heads around to see another girl pass them.

"Nu-uh! I wasn't watching anyone! And I don't have a crush," Momoko said.

"Um, Momo-chan, she can't hear you," Chibiusa pointed out. Hotaru, who sat beside Chibiusa, was silent but smiling.

"Do you two have any crushes?" The question was asked so suddenly that Chibiusa and Hotaru asked her to repeat it again. "I said, do either of you have any crushes?"

"No," said Hotaru firmly.

"Me neither." Even as she said it, Chibiusa wondered if it was the truth.

Later that day, a friend of Chibiusa's mother was over at their house. Aino Minako, an up and coming idol, who could almost be Usagi's twin. Usagi, Minako and Chibiusa all sat around the kitchen table, eating snacks and drinks. They were chatting away, when Chibiusa remebered the events of her school day.

"Mama, Minako-chan, did either of you have any crushes in seventh grade?" The older two women looked at her.

"Not, really," said Usagi. "Although, I did find Motoki-oniichan kinda cute. But then I found out he had a girlfriend." She made a face and the other two laughed. "What about you, Minako? That was a year before we met and you don't talk about it much." Minako made a face.

"There's a very good reason for that," she mumbled before taking a sip of her drink.

"Aw, do you mean to tell me that the infamous Goddess of Love hasn't had a crush?" Minako didn't answer Chibiusa's question. Instead, she kept sipping her drink and letting her mind remember.

_It would be nice if you put a ribbon on the back. A big, red ribbon._

_I love hearing everybody sing out loud. It makes me feel alive. _

_I love you. This card represents a crossroads in fortune. Do you love me? You're never serious. You always choose something more important than love. I'll tell your final love fortune. Your love will be hopeless for all eternity. _

_The ace of hearts…cut in half. _

"I had a few," she said at last. The mother and daughter glared at her for making them wait for such a vague answer. Usagi leaned over the table on her forearms. Chibiusa crossed her arms over her chest and pouted.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer**: Do I really look like I own Sailor Moon? Wait, don't answer that one. It's _so_ obivious that I don't.

**Chapter Ten**

Fourteen year old Chibiusa stood in a line of girls all wearing leotards similar to her pale pink one. They each watched as the others performed their routine for tryouts. Finally, it was Chibiusa's turn. She had worked for weeks trying to perfect this combination just so she could make the gymnastics team.

She did very well in the first part, but when she went to land from the high bar, she tripped and fell on her bottom. Discouraged, she stood up and made for the exit. Before she made it to the open door, however, one of the other girls who had made the team jogged up to her.

"Hey, too bad. Y' almost made it." Chibiusa scowled and the girl in green grinned. They heard applause, so Chibiusa turned around to where another girl with long pink hair was trying out on the trapeze. She landed perfectly in a handstand, finishing her combination. The girl walked over to Chibiusa and her companion.

"You can't just land normally, can ya?" The green girl shook her head. "I'm Jun, and she's Cere." Cere, the pink girl, elbowed Jun.

"And what's you name?" She asked politely.

"Chibiusa," she replied. "Nice to meet you."

(Scene Change)

A few days later, just before the school day started, Chibiusa and Momoko were talking together. Somehow, they came upon the topic of boys.

"I really do like Kyuusuke-kun, but sometimes he's just too mean for me to stand it," Momoko was saying.

"Maybe he's only pretending to be mean, Momo-chan." Her friend gave Chibiusa a skeptical look, but couldn't say anything to that because it was time for class. The two parted ways, and Chibiusa wondered about her friend's predicament all the way to art class.

She took her seat and noticed that the blue-haired girl next to her was sketching in a book. Chibiusa leaned over to see better and realized that the girl was drawing a giant ball.

"Um, hello?" Startled, Chibiusa looked away from the pad to meet the girl's eyes.

"Sorry, you just looked so intent on what you were drawing…" She trailed off. "Chibiusa."

"I know. You're the one always getting scolded for painting winged horses." She giggled. "I'm Pal, nice to meet you!" Chibiusa ended up smiling as well. She just knew they'd be great friends.

(Scene Change)

"By Pal-chan!" Chibiusa waved good-bye to her new friend after school and went to meet Momoko.

"Chibiusa, I really don't get why Kyuusuke or anyone for that matter would pretend to be mean."

"Maybe he does it to seem stronger. Like the showing off some of the guys do at lunch."

"I don't know. Where'd you hear that anyway? A manga?"

"No, a… friend of mine once told that to me, back when I first met you guys." She was given an incredulous look.

"And you remember that? Must be some friend." Chibiusa looked away. He certainly was a wonderful friend who gave advice that was worth remembering.

**A/N: **If you guys don't remember what Chibiusa's talking about, see chapter two. And I'm purposefully excluded Helios' appearance, so be patient with me.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: **I don't own _Sailor Moon _and got the idea from a variety of other different animes.

**Chapter Eleven**

Chibiusa took a seat at her desk and pulled out a text book, a pencil and a notebook. She opened the text book and began to study for the high school extrance exams, the ones she would be taking this very year. She spent a good forty minutes working dilegently before she began to daydream.

_She leaned over the balcony's rail, searching the gardens below for any sign of her prince. Nervously, she played with the pink jewel hanging from her necklace. The cover of night did not aid her eyes in locating him. Still she looked, hoping against hope he could make it. _

_Finally, she saw movement in the shadows. Straining her eyes, she could just barely make out that familiar outline of her dear prince. A soft sigh of relief escaped her lips and her entire body relaxed. _

_The balcony and garden fell away to become the bluest sky she'd ever seen. She wasn't falling as one would expect, but flying. Giggling, she spun and swooped through the clouds. She hardly paused in her heavenly exploration between tricks. When she looked down, she couldn't even see the ground, just more sky. The girl shrugged. Then, as if she'd never thought of it, Chibiusa resumed her joyous flight._

_The sky disappeared and this time, she was on a dance floor at a party. Wearing a gorgeous white gown, in the arms of her new husband, Chibiusa laughed happily as he spun her around the dance floor. She spotted her mother dancing with her father for a moment, but most of her attention was on her love. Today had certainly been the happiest day of her life. The preparations, the flowers, the long walk down the aisle on her father's arm, and at last claiming him for all those gathered to see. Chibiusa was certain there'd be no other day like it._

The sound of her own wistful sigh snapped the pink haired teenager back to the reality of her bedroom. Chibiusa blushed, thinking of her daydreams and the handsome man appearing in two of them. She giggled quietly, knowing it was just a dream and believing it all the sweeter. The girl shook her head and returned to her school work.

**A/n: **Anybody wanna take a stab at just who this mysterious lover-boy is?


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything. Period.

**Chapter Twelve**

She bit her lip, trying to decide which shade of green she should add next. When Chibiusa had gotten into high school, she'd immediately sought out to join the art club. The first few days were just meetings, today was the first 'painting day' and she had this particular picture on her mind for quite some time.

"That's a neat Pegasus!" Chibiusa turned her head around to face her odd blue-haired friend, who was looking over her shoulder. "It really fits the forest setting."

"Um, thanks."

The other girl beamed. "No sweat, Chibiusa-chan. So… what's the idea behind it?" She nodded to Chibiusa's work. The girl's cheeks went as pink as her hair. She _really_ didn't like that look the other girl was giving her…

(Scene Change)

After club that day, Chibiusa went to the library to study. She finished her homework, and went to the myths section. There, she picked out a book on mythical creatures. She was rather pleased to find a whole chapter on her favorite – the winged horse.

_The winged horse, known as the 'Pegasus' is a favored myth, originating in Greece. It is said that the Pegasus can only be seen in the dreams of innocent children. Once a child grows up, however, the Pegasus is not seen as frequently and then disappears altogether. _

Chibiusa stopped reading. If that was true, once she grew up, she'd never be able to see him again! The girl put the book back and left the library, upset at the thought of never seeing her dearest friend again.

(Scene Change)

"Hey! Chibiusa-chan!" She spotted Cere, Pal and Jun seated at one of the tables inside the new café and headed over to them.

"Aw, Hotaru-chan couldn't make it?" Pal pouted.

"No, she said something about a major project due soon." Chibiusa didn't bother looking at them; she had enough on her mind to worry about. The other three exchanged glances.

"Wanna talk about it?" Jun offered. Chibiusa shook her head. "Well, okay. We haven't ordered yet, so take your time."

Chibiusa glanced at the Jove Café's menu, not really reading it. She was still upset over what she'd read in the library the other day and wasn't in the mood for niceties. The pink haired girl thought back to the last time she'd seen Helios, and was worried when she couldn't remember it.

(Scene Change)

Three months passed and still no sign of her guardian angel. Chibiusa and her friends all went on a class trip to a historical site, just by the Tokyo Zoo. The teacher and guide took them on a grand tour that the students paid little attention to. Even Chibiusa was spaced out.

The group was forced to become alert when a large black panther with ferocious claws and teeth raced through the building. It frightened the tourists that it passed, who hurried out of the way.

"It must have escaped from the zoo!"

"Why isn't security doing something about this?"

The panther leapt onto one of the speakers and forced them to the ground. A redheaded girl, who had been hot on its heels the whole time, cracked her whip on its back. The animal flinched and backed away from whip and girl, allowing its victim to rise and leave.

It pounced on the girl's back, but she slammed against the wall and the panther fell off, weakened. The girl then locked a leash around its neck and tugged it away.

Later, Chibiusa found the girl coming out of the zoo's front gate.

"That was amazing!" She praised the girl's ability to tame a wild animal. The girl shrugged.

"I'm Chibiusa. You?"

"Ves. Nice to meet you."

"You, too. C'mon, I'll introduce you to the others." Chibiusa latched onto her new friend's arm and dragged her off to where the group was waiting.

**A/N: **I made up the Pegasus myth. It was an idea I got from one of the SuperS episodes.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything! I swear I don't! Really!

**Chapter Thirteen**

Chibiusa met her friends at Jove's Café for lunch, one Sunday afternoon. They'd all ordered and were chatting away as they waited for their food.

"What are you going to do after next year?"

"I'm going to a college with a good vet program," answered Ves. "How 'bout you?"

"I want to go to college, too, and major in art," Palla replied.

"College is nice, but I'm going to open a flower shop," Cere said snobbishly. Ves grumbled something about her rudeness.

"Oi, anybody seen Momoko or Hotaru?" Cere shot Ves a look, saying Jun was much more impolite.

"Momoko-chan's helping her mom with their restaurant and Hotaru-chan went to apply for volunteering at the hospital."

"Already making plans for the future, eh? Well, me too. Law enforcement or sports; something physical," Jun said. They all looked at the fifth member of their group, who had yet to speak.

"Um, college…"

"Really? Which one?"

"What'll you major in?"

"Art? You're really good."

"Or medicine, like your papa?"

"I haven't decided yet." Privately, Chibiusa was leaning towards art, but that wouldn't be enough to support her financially.

"Hey, now. I know that look," a woman in green came over to their table. "Don't be so serious. You're supposed to plan big and have dreams when you're young." The girls looked up at her. "I'm Kino Makoto, the owner. You're food will be ready soon, we've just had a few kitchen mixups."

"Really? What happened?"

The woman shrugged. "Nothing big, just that we've been left short-handed in the kitchen."

"Well, one of us could help you out," Chibiusa offered.

"Oh, no. We have it covered for today, but tomorrow might be a problem… you wouldn't mind swinging by to help out then, would you?"

The girl smiled. "I dunno about my friends here, but I know I'd be glad to!"

(Scene Change)

Chibiusa turned around in front of Makoto and her staff in the new pink and green uniform. It was her first day on the job and she hoped she looked her best.

"Wonderful! It really fits you well," the woman assured her. Chibiusa beamed at the compliment. "Now, you remember last week's training, right?"

"I sure do. I'll do my very best!"

She hurried off for the Saturday lunch hour, a busy time for the little café. She already had a few tables of customers.

"Welcome to Jove's Café. My I take your order?" She had her notepad ready, but wasn't quite paying attention to the young couple at the table.

"Chibiusa-chan?" That was when she looked up and really noticed the purple haired girl and her male companion.

"Momo-chan? Are you on a date with Kyusuke-kun?"

"Uhh…" She motioned for the other girl to lean in closer. "This is sort of our third date, but the first one wasn't _really_ a date." Chibiusa straightened back up.

"Well, okay then. Two sodas?" They both nodded; she knew them very well, after all. The girl left to gather the drinks, wondering about how they had grown up since elementary school. Things sure had changed. They were important friends and to see them dating, even casually, was a bit of a surprise.

Of course Chibiusa heard conversations at school about dating and girlfriends and boyfriends, but they seemed like foreign concepts to her. She really missed having Helios to talk with. She wondered what he would say to this new development.

_Helios, where are you?_


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: **A Japanese lady owns Sailor Moon. I am not Japanese.

**Chapter Fourteen**

Chibiusa sat down in her seat and pulled out her school materials. Then, she placed her bag under her seat. Two girls walked past her to get to their seats and she overheard their conversation.

"How's the application process going?"

"Oh, it's a nightmare," the second girl replied. "My mom's been harping on me to get stuff done, but I've also got club activities and homework."

A boy entered their conversation as he sat down. "Geez, that's rough. My parents don't even understand the process, so I'm the one doing all the work."

Chibiusa tried to ignore that chatter around her as more people entered the classroom. Two boys interrupted her concentration.

"Which schools did you apply to?"

"Oh, around seven of the schools furthest from out neighborhood but still in the country."

"_Seven? _My dad said I could only apply to three!"

"Shows you what he knows."

At the end of the day, Chibiusa packed up her things and turned to her friend.

"Are you coming, Palla?"

"Yeah, just let me ask the teacher something," the blue haired girl replied. Chibiusa waited for her by the door and heard the conversation.

"Takamiya-sensei, could you write me a letter of recommendation?"

"Of course. You are one of my very best art students," the art teacher told her student. Chibiusa had heard others asking for those letters, and wondered if she should, too.

Outside the school gate, Chibiusa and her friends walked through the crowd of students.

"I hope we get in together," a girl said to her friend.

"Yeah, I don't want to be stuck with a stranger for a roommate," her shorter friend replied.

_Roommates, huh? Wonder if I'll need one, _Chibiusa thought. It was very likely she would, unless she commuted.

(Scene Change)

When Chibiusa got home, she was still thinking about college. She'd never really been away from her parents for long periods of time and fretted over this. Even her friends were making plans and knew what they wanted to do in life. They'd all go their separate ways and might not stay as close.

"Something wrong, Chibiusa-chan?" Her mother saw the pensive look her daughter had on her face.

"It's just… have you ever felt like your closest friends were all ready to grow up and move on, but you were left behind?" Usagi came over and sat beside her daughter on the couch.

"Actually, I remember when your father went away to college in America. I was terrible at enduring his absence, but I managed because I had my friends with me. They all went on to do big and wonderful things while I stayed the same as ever. Childish and irresponsible."

"How did you deal with it?"

She laughed. "It wasn't easy, I'll give you that. But I've always been able to make friends easily and so I managed."

Chibiusa's brow was still furrowed and she was still worried. "That's not what I meant. I mean, did you grow apart from your friends? Even with snail mail, phones and the internet, did you stay close?"

"Chibiusa-chan, if you are really good friends, you will find a way to stay close no matter the distance. Bonds of friendship don't die that easily. But everyone must go their own way."

(Scene Change)

The next day at school, Chibiusa continued to listen to her classmates discuss their plans for the immediate future.

"Chibiusa-chan, which college are you going to?"

"Either KO or Osaka University."

"Really? KO's pretty cool, but it's way too close to home."

"So? That's cheaper," another girl argued. The two went off to argue over the merits of sticking close to home versus going away. Chibiusa shook her head and pulled out a sheet of paper.

_Pros and Cons, _she wrote at the top. Then she continued to list both for each college.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen **

**Disclaimer:** The only thing I own is this story's plot and a new laptop.

**Part One: The Graduation Ceremony **

The ceremony took place outdoors, so everyone felt the slight chill brought on by mid-March weather. Before the event began, the parents, underclassmen and teachers found their seats.

The graduating class waited in the gym as the vice principal led the local officials and special guests to their seats. Once they entered, the teachers stood up and bowed to them. Finally, the graduating class of the year entered the stadium, led by their homeroom teachers. The students were arranged by homeroom in alphabetical order.

When Chibiusa entered and stood by her seat, she looked around the large crowd of her peers for her friends. She spotted them easily, having marked where they were during practice. She then turned her attention to the stands to find her family. Unfortunately, for every individual student, there were at least two people in the stands. That made it impossible to find anyone. Still, she kept searching even when everyone had arrived and they all sat down together.

Chibiusa was forced to give up her futile search as soon as the master of ceremonies instructed everyone to stand and bow to the flag. The members of the school's chorus went up to the front and sang the national anthem, the Tokyo anthem and the school's song. Chibiusa did her best to listen respectfully, but she was very glad when they were allowed to sit down again.

The chorus divided itself into graduates and underclassman, with each group singing to the other. The crowd applauded politely, and some enthusiastically, once they finished. Then it was time for the main event: the diplomas. As the moment they'd all been waiting for, it took the longest. Even so, Chibiusa was rather surprised at how fast it went. She waited stiffly through the final speeches until at last it was over and they were all dismissed.

She followed the crowd of her peers out to go look for her family. Being short in a crowd was not a good thing when you were trying to find someone, she decided. Chibiusa wandered the campus for a while before going to the front gate. She watched and listened as people gathered around friends and family, talking and taking pictures. A stab of loneliness hit her then; she couldn't even find her friends.

Just as she was about to head back into the school, she heard her name being called and smiled. There was her father with her mother not far behind.

**Part Two: The Summer's End**

"What have you been up to this whole summer?" Chibiusa was on the phone with her oldest friend Momoko.

"I've been trying to get classes at the Community College, but lots of people attend the school, so newcomers are a low priority."

"Yeah, Ceres said she was having the same problem."

"Really? That sucks. What've you been doing?"

Chibiusa moved the phone to her other ear. "Not much actually. I'm almost finished packing, which is a good thing considering that I leave in two days."

"That's right; you're going to the KO campus in Yokohama, aren't you?"

"Yeah, it's kinda far so I have to pack for several months' worth." She still wondered if choosing a school of business was best when she had such a hard time with math.

"But you'll be back for winter, right?"

"Uh-uh. Pallas will, too, because she's going to Tohoku in Yamagata. But it's still a long way off."

"Jeez, you two _had_ to pick schools so far away, didn't you?" Chibiusa could practically see her friend roll her eyes.

"Staying in Tokyo area like you guys are is fine, but I think I should learn how to live on my own. And Yokohama isn't that far away."

"True. Well, I've got to go help my mom."

"See ya, then."

"Bye." Chibiusa ended the call and put her cell back on her night table. She kind of wished that she'd stayed in Tokyo too, but she should get the 'full college experience' as her father put it. She looked at the picture on her desk of her, Ceres, Juno and Vesta. It was taken that spring at Juno's party.

Juno and Ceres had opted for going to Junior colleges like Momoko, rather than four year schools. Hotaru and Vesta were moving to other wards of Tokyo, but staying fairly close to home. Chibiusa was nervous, more than Pallas, because she'd never been away from home for more than a week. All things considered, she was pretty sheltered compared to her friends.

_I just have to tell myself that it's no big deal and that I can do this. I think. I hope. _

_Yes, you can. _

Chibiusa shook her head. She could've sworn she heard a male voice in her head… nah, that was silly. It must have been her imagination.

Two days later, it was time. Her parents were driving her to Yokohama (because her mother hated flying, something to do with her dad going off to college…) that very day. She'd emailed all her friends and told them so, asking them to keep in touch.

She thought back to the end of school, when everyone was crying. She hadn't shed a single tear. One classmate called her an ice-queen, but she wasn't. She just didn't get so overwhelmed by emotion like her mother to show it.

When Vesta, strong and tough Vesta, cried then, Chibiusa had been the one to reassure her. This was the age of technology, after all, and she was only a phone call or an email away.

"Are you ready, Chibiusa?" Her dad asked for the hundredth time. She mentally took a deep breath and smiled at him.

"I sure am, Papa!"

_Not at all, but I'll try. _

**A/N:** I dedicated this chapter to everyone who's graduated high school and/or started college (or are on the brink of starting college) and to all who begin a new chapter in their lives. It's scary and nerve-wracking, but the page must be turned (or scrolled down as the case may be) and people must move forward.

By the way, does anyone know who the 'male voice in her head' was? No, I haven't forgotten him, but it seems that Chibiusa might have!


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: **Gasp! Do my eyes deceive me or is this an actual author's note? I just wanted to tell everyone that I have absolutely no knowledge of how college works in Japan; I am basing the experience off of the American version. If there are any errors in the accuracy, please inform me and I will be happy to correct them.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Sailor Moon because I'm not Japanese and I can't speak it fluently enough to translate.

**Chapter Sixteen**

At first, her roommate, Irb, was never around. Then she was around sometimes with her friend Ashi. Soon, though, she was there enough to annoy and hurt Chibiusa.

The tears started coming out and making her face sticky. Her nose was full of snot from crying, and still the people in her dorm room didn't notice. They continued to laugh and talk as if she wasn't there. Those who noticed her thought she was mad about something. They gave up immediately, revealing their lack of compassion.

These people cursed every time they spoke, which was often and it offended her. No one around her cared and those who did were so far away that they couldn't do anything. She wouldn't bother them anyway, she was strong and could tough this out on her own.

Chibiusa gave up trying to block out the noise they called music and began to draw and draw and draw on her sketchpad. It was the only way she could pour out her feelings without doing something stupid.

She drew her roommate and posse as evil ogres of mythology. She detailed them all quite well, but kept the pad close to her chest, so that they wouldn't see. She didn't want them to call the cops on her, like they threatened to when she tried to get them to turn down the music.

She wanted to go home immediately, but knew she had to tough it out. If she gave in, like Ashi's roommate, it would mean that they won. They'd just keep doing whatever they wanted, no matter what she did or didn't do, so she decided to prove to herself that she was capable of toughing it out in the real world with all kinds of bums and freaks.

While she was alone in her room one night, Chibiusa thought her situation over. She realized that it would be best to give in and submit for the sake of peace. Two days later, just as she worked up the courage to "apologize" to her roommate, she discovered that the girl had moved to another room. Pleasantly surprised (and glad she didn't have to shove her pride aside), Chibiusa shrugged the whole thing off.

Chibiusa continued with her routine, going to class, eating, doing chores, doing homework and contacting her friends and family back home. She tried her best to make new friends by joining a few clubs, but she really felt distant from her peers. No matter how hard she tried, Chibiusa felt empty inside, as if something was missing.

(Scene change)

"Pallaaaa!"

"Chibiusa-chaaaan!"

The two friends squashed each other in hugs when they finally met up. When they finished with the "I missed yous", they stepped back from each other and laughed.

"Seriously, only you would come all the way here just for my birthday," Chibiusa told her friend. It was the weekend after her birthday and, just as promised, her blue haired friend showed up at her dorm.

Palla giggled. "Yeah, it's lonely for us two who went far from home, so I figured we should stick together! Or at least visit." The two girls laughed again.

(Scene Change)

"Bai-Bai!" Chibiusa waved goodbye to Palla the very next day when she got on the noon train. Once the train was out of sight. Chibiusa dropped her arm and sighed. The emptiness she'd been feeling lately had temporarily disappeared with her friend's visit, but returned full force once she left. It was somewhat similar to hunger, but it wasn't deep in her stomach. The empty feeling seemed to be throughout her whole body.

She returned to her dorm room and pulled out her sketch pad. Then she reached for a pencil and absently began to draw. Her eyes were on the page, but she wasn't really paying attention to anything at all. When she snapped out of her blank daydream, Chibiusa realized she had drawn a forest.

"Weird. Where have I seen this place before?" She reached over to her desk for her water bottle, but ended up knocking over a box instead. The box fell on the floor and all the papers inside scattered all over the place.

Chibiusa set her current sketchbook aside and got up off her bed to gather them back up. Each paper had her drawings on them, some were very faded and others were clear. She picked them up one by one until she came to one that she could barely even make out the pencil line and color.

"When did I draw this?" She squinted at it really hard, hoping to make out some of the details. It was of a person, that much she was sure of. There was a little bit of color left around the eyes, a sort of golden amber color as far as she could tell. "Oh well." She put it back in the box with the others.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

**Disclaimer: **Seriously people, is this even necessary anymore? I mean, this is the seventeenth chapter already!

The rest of Chibiusa's first semester passed by quickly and without deviation. She had actually created a routine for herself, one that didn't include making any new friends. She went to school, did her chores, painted, read, and before she realized it, she had taken her finals and was on an airplane home for winter break.

The news that she had aced her first term came during the middle of her first week home. Those grades certainly made her break go well, even if it did pass by too quickly. She found out from three of her friends that they had three or four week breaks. Both she and Jun lamented their short, two week breaks. They spent as much time as they could together, but Chibiusa realized that she'd be alone again once she returned to school. And she wasn't wrong.

Her mother brought her back to school to help her get her books and meet her new roommate, Mika, a girl who enjoyed listening to music more than anything.

"Music, huh? That's awesome. Planning to do anything with it?"

Mika nodded. "I want to open my own concert venue. We don't really have one back home and I'd really like one, so the idea just came to me."

While her mother engaged Mika in a conversation about following her dreams, Chibiusa wondered about her own dreams. She thought of them constantly, but never really had a clear idea of where they'd take her. Her dreams were many and vague, but they weren't really concrete.

_Why does everyone seem to have a plan when they get to college? My hobbies are all like a kid's. I listen to mama and everyone go on and on about how you should follow your dreams and never give up… but what if you don't really have any dreams? _The pink-haired girl quickly shook off her depression. _Okay, here's my dream: to draw and wake up tomorrow and eat breakfast with my mom. _

Three days later, after her mom left, Chibiusa sat on her bed, doodling aimlessly while Mika spoke with someone over the phone.

"I don't know… I just… I just… I can't do this. I thought that I could, that it could be a new start, but I just _**can't, **_mom. I thought this was the right place for me, but it's not. And now I made Shigo drive me here for nothing, and I've just been a burden to everyone and… I just can't get this right. I can't even pass a stupid math quiz!" By this point, the girl was crying. She ended the conversation and tried to go back to the online quiz.

Chibiusa, who couldn't bear the other girl's grief, offered to help. Together, they tackled the quiz and Mika thanked her over and over again, embarrassing the young pinkette.

"Was this how it was for you, being on your own for the first time?" Mika wanted to know.

"Actually, I didn't cry. Not for homesickness. But that's only because I'm actually kind of apathetic. I think crying is a much more reasonable and normal response for someone who's never been away from home before." Chibiusa did her best to advise and comfort the other girl, but she was too much like her father, and not as empathetic as her mother. For some reason, she never knew just what to say or do, even though she wanted to help. It was a sort of strange instinct. Not motherly or sisterly, it was more like a human instinct to help a fellow human being in need.

A week had passed since the new term began and Mika was packing her things. With her mother in the hospital, her older brother busy with work and her father gone, she felt that she really needed to be home. Chibiusa discovered that her soon-to-be-former roommate was even closer to her family than Chibiusa was to her own. Proud Mika, who felt as though she was giving up too soon but couldn't stand to be on her own for another minute.

Once more alone, Chibiusa's second college semester passed much like her first; quickly and without any real trouble except her grades. There was just one class that she was in immediate danger of failing, and that worried her greatly. She was already being forced to take a summer class; she didn't want to have to repeat another! Even so, she couldn't wait to be home with her friends and family, and not be alone anymore.

During the finals week, she took a break from studying to draw. Absently, she sketched a pair of eyes, then a face and a body. When she had finished, she realized she had drawn a winged horse.

"Okay… mama warned me about living in a fantasy, daydream world, but this is ridiculous."

**A/N: **Is it me, or does this seem like some poor excuse for a summary? Surely the lack of detail will be made up for in the next chapter… when I get around to writing it, that is.


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